Crossed Swords
by Diana Raven
Summary: Fencing!AU with Gajevy!


**Hello my lovies! So this has been a thing in my head for a while and yeah. So it had to be written.**

 **Because I don't know how many of you know fencing terminology... (** **If you don't feel like reading any of these, don't. It's here if you want).**

 **In order of apperence (more or less):**

 ** _En Guarde (position and phrase)_ : starting (also resting) position. Hand in front of your body (exact placement depends on weapon), feet shoulder with the part, feet perpendicular. Means 'on guard', said customarily before each round.**

 ** _Pret_ : Means 'ready' **

**_Allez:_ Means 'fence'**

 _ **Bell-guard:**_ **the metal piece that protects the dominant hand from being hit (or is supposed to). Between the hilt and the forte (the thick part of the foil right above the bell-guard).**

 _ **Coward's retreat:**_ **Taking a step back instead of parrying.**

 ** _Fleshe_ : (I believe I spelled it wrong), a move where you essentially throw yourself at your opponent, point extended. This is usually illegal and action is stopped after the fleshe, whether it is successful or not. Means 'arrow'. **

_**Parry:**_ **a defense where one bats their opponent's attack out of the way. It takes practice to get one right, usually beginners use (what my coach, at least, called them) wind-shield wipers, where their parries look like (hence the name) wind-shield wipers.**

 ** _Riposte (riposted)_ : the attack that follows the parry made by the PERSON WHO MADE THE PARRY. An attack made by the opponent after the parry is called a remise. **

**_Advance-lunge:_ A move combining an advance (a step forward) and a lunge (kicking out one's front leg and snapping their back leg, arm extended, a standard attack in fencing).  
**

 _ **Beat attack:**_ **An attack where one preemptively bats at the other's weapon and then proceeds to lunge.**

 ** _Knickers:_ Knee length white canvas protection for fencers' legs. Very helpful. Saved me from many bruises. **

_**Jacket:**_ **There are many layers for a female fencer on the torso, outside layer on torso (not counting electric gear for foil fencers). A white canvas jacket that covers from wrists to collarbone to around the hips. Very uncomfortable if it is not the correct size, which Levy's isn't because she's short (I had the same problem).**

 ** _Foil_ _(fleur)_ : One of the weapons used in fencing. Fencers only fence their weapons. **

**_Epee_ : Another weapon **

* * *

Sweat dripped down Levy's back and her weapon was slick in her hand. Levy's gloved hand was cramped from the past eight bouts; none of which Levy had won. In fact Levy had never won a bout in her history of being on the team. Which, granted, was expected because Levy had just joined the team at the beginning of this season; a month ago.

"Ready, Shrimp?" Her new opponent was a senior fencer. He had been on the team for years. He hooked himself into the electric gear while she continued to massage her cramped hand.

"I'm not a shrimp." Levy muttered, picking up her weapon.

"Ghihi." The boy grinned, tightening his bandanna around his long black mane of hair. "Course yeh are."

Levy rolled her eyes, and slipped on her mask. The two strolled forward, Gajeel pressed his foil tip against Levy's bell-guard and Levy did the same. They saluted one another and their referee, and settled into their _en guarde_. Levy knew Gajeel was huge. But _damn_ , Gajeel was _huge_! His large white canvas covered torso gave Levy so much target area Levy wondered why he was the best on their team.

" _Pret_ , _allez_." The referee announced.

Before Levy could process what was happening a foil point burrowed itself in her stomach, right under her breastplate. The pain of the jab caught Levy off guard and she stumbled onto her ass.

"Point left! One, zero."

Levy pulled herself to her feet, her face burning with embarrassment. "C'mon, Shrimp." Gajeel taunted. Levy could almost hear him smirk. "At least make me work for it."

 _That's it. I'll get a point against him or I'll die trying_.

" _En guarde_! _Allez_!" The ref shouted.

Gajeel advanced, Levy retreated. Gajeel was toying with Levy and Levy knew it. The pattern he lulled her into was simple; advance, retreat, retreat, advance. Levy tried as much as she could to focus on the large target in front of her.

Behind Gajeel patrolled the redheaded coach named Erza. "Keep your bell-guard up McGarden!" Erza barked. Levy shifted her gaze for a second to glance at the coach. The wiggle of fingers in her peripheral vision and she stumbled back again as Gajeel won his next point.

Levy frowned. What was that wiggle?

The referee signaled the resume of the bout and Levy watched Gajeel and his back hand intently. Gajeel's back hand wiggling caught her attention, and then a second later Levy was once again a victim of Gajeel's force. Levy grinned, ignoring the sweat which stung her eyes, the throbbing pain left by being the brunt of many lunges, and the humiliation of the not winning a single bout so far. Gajeel had a tell, now she just had to figure out how to manipulate it. Fencing was not about brute strength. Fencing was not about size. Fencing was not about target area. It was about strategy. And that was something Levy excelled at.

"3, 0. _Pret_ , _allez_."

This time Levy would get the touche.

Again Gajeel lulled Levy into a pattern, but this time Levy was ready for the lunge. Gajeel wiggled his back hand and lunged. Levy took the safest route and went with the coward's retreat, shuffling backward as fast as her short legs could take her, only made Gajeel fleshe. While Levy had seen the move and its defense done before, but she had never been its victim. And she could say for certain that she had never been more terrified in her life. She ducked, and extended, closing her eyes as she did. Gajeel's point sailed over her head, and his chest struck the outstretched point.

"3, 1." The referee announced. Levy felt like both screaming with glee and jumping up and down. But she stopped herself, she'd gotten one point, and she was so excited to get the next. Levy glanced at the referee and noticed a white smile contrasting with his dark, cheerful face. He must have been happy that his friend was getting beat by a _shrimp_. Well, one point wasn't _beat_ , but she was on her way there. Two more points and they were tied. Gajeel only grunted. "Fencers' ready? _Pret_ , _allez_."

Gajeel didn't even wait for footwork. As soon as the round started he wiggled his fingers and tried to ram into his opponent. Levy parry-riposted. Her light went off.

"3, 2. She's catchin' up to ya, Gajeel." The ref said with a wink. Gajjel grumbled something under his breath. Levy couldn't believe it! She'd won a _second point_! Against an _experienced_ fencer!

Gajeel tried again with the fast approach, but his tittering back hand gave him away and now they were tied.

"3, 3."

Levy decided to mix it up and attack first, as soon as possible she advance-lunged to fill the distance. Gajeel hadn't expected the tiny onslaught so his parry went wide. Levy got the point! She was going strong! 4-3 with the best fencer on the team! (Okay, Erza was the best fencer but whatever). _One more point. One more point. One more point._ The thought ricocheted around Levy's brain.

One

More

 _Point_

Levy sucked in a deep, heaving breath and ignored the burning sweat in her eyes.

" _Pret_ , _allez_!" In fact, the ref seemed pretty psyched about it too, Levy thought with a smile. Gajeel didn't seem that happy though.

Gajeel continued his original lull, but Levy was the one to break it. She advanced, Gajeel parried. Levy gave him a beat attack which he parry-riposted. Levy parried and stumbled backwards, but Gajeel pressed on until Levy fleshed him, passing his defenses and winning her first bout.

"Right wins!" The ref proclaimed and the two teens pulled off their masks. Levy was panting heavily and her ungloved hand was as slick from sweat as the rest of her was. She wiped the hand on her knickers and wiped her damp hair out of her face.

Gajeel already had his ungloved hand raised and Levy took it. Unlike her, he didn't seem winded or sweaty in the slightest.

"Good job." He grunted, as was customary.

"Thanks! You were amazing!"

The referee walked up to them. "If you don't mind me asking Levy,"

"Lil'…" Gajeel growled. Lily ignored him.

"Why did you beat Gajeel and not the others?" Levy noticed a pink tinge color Gajeel's cheeks. And she was sure it wasn't from the 'workout' she'd given him.

"You've got a tell." Levy said nonchalantly.

That shocked the boys. "I do?" Gajeel asked curiously.

"He does?"

"You're back hand wiggles before every lunge."

Gajeel stared at Levy like she had grown two heads, and then at his hand like it had grown extra fingers.

"Levy!" Erza called from across the room. "Get your gear off!" She then turned to the whole room and roared, "LAST BOUT, THEN HIT THE LOCKER ROOMS."

"See ya!" Levy said to her team mates, waving as she jogged out. Surprisingly being covered in a too big canvas jacket and knickers (as well as multiple layers) made jogging a lot harder, but Levy managed.

Lucy met her outside the room where the fencers were finishing up. She was leaning against a trophy case, her eyes watching a specific pink haired epee fencer through the glass door.

"How'd you do?" The blonde asked her blue-haired friend.

Levy's smile was blinding. "I won my first bout!"

* * *

 **So yeah, didja like it? Hate it? Have any comments whatsoever? Put 'em in the reviews! I'd love to hear thoughts!**

 **Sweet dreams dears.**

 **XOX**

 **~ Diana**


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